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EXCLUSIVE: Years & Years Give Inside Scoop on New Album, 'Palo Santo'

The album, which was just released, is a true piece of art.

Three Years & Years later, the day has finally arrived. The band’s second studio album, Palo Santo is finally upon us and while most might call it a “record,” it is really a true piece of art.

Even before getting into the studio to start making music for their sophomore album, front-man Olly Alexander knew this next album was going to be a concept album.

“I wanted to create this kind of fantasy world that music would go alongside – pop music is always about fantasy and escapism to me, so we should just create our own world that all of the music videos we make and our live show, the visuals and the artwork, the merchandise -- everything can be consistent from this one unique world, and that world is called Palo Santo,” Olly explained.

Palo Santo is a fantasy world alright. It is a place in the distant future that is predominantly ruled by androids with the desire to experience human emotions. On a quest to find the few human beings that still exist in Palo Santo, humans become the celebrities and entertainers, performing in huge theaters for the android’s amusement in hopes to see what human emotions truly are.

You’re following this, right?

No, these are not the scenes to next week’s episode of Westworld, but an homage to how technology has infiltrated our society.

Olly explained how in this accelerated world we live in, everyone has an interesting relationship with technology. His fascination with creating Palo Santo was his chance to flip our normal social rules on their head and begin to question ideas like, “what is an android’s sexuality?” and “what is an android’s gender?” – even asking himself “how would an android experience love?”

The band grew up fascinated with all things sci-fi, which is likely the reason they pulled a lot of their inspiration from films like Fifth Element, Star Trek, Tron and Blade Runner, to name a few. Mixing the sci-fi imagery with their classic synth-pop, dance music vibes – Palo Santo is essentially the soundtrack to our dreams (or future?).

The only thing that may top the tracks and the visuals? Check them out live.

From Olly’s extraordinary wardrobe (which you can see a sneak peek of in our interview) to his incredible energy, every minute feels like a celebration. Olly has quickly become a pop icon for this generation – speaking out on issues most people might fear -- LGBTQ rights, mental health and diversity.

Creating music to empower, championing individuality and most importantly celebrating life – Years & Years are here for it all.